by The Skimm
The Who’s in Charge
The UN Security Council. Because, like in any organization, there are some people who are really running the show.
The UN Security Council: The VIP Room
The Who
15 countries. There are five perma members: the US, China, Russia, France, and Britain. Plus 10 temporary members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
The What
The most powerful countries in the world. They also just happen to all have nuclear capabilities. This group alone has the right to impose sanctions and authorize peacekeeping operations (that is, deploy military troops to keep the peace in SOS situations). Any one of the permanent members can veto any resolution.
Here’s a closer look at them.
United States The most powerful country in the world. Not only does the US have the number one economy, it spends more on its military than the next seven highest-spending countries combined. So Uncle Sam’s the main keeper of international security. And—depending on who you ask—a spreader of democracy or a big ol’ meddler.
China The second largest economy in the world, but experts think it may become number one by 2030. The US and China have gone head-to-head in a trade and technology war in recent years (more on that later). And China’s a communist country whose ideas on democracy are pretty much the opposite of the West’s.
Russia The artist formerly known as the Soviet Union. It was once a massive communist superpower in a decades-long standoff with the US, aka the Cold War. Now it’s a less massive non-communist superpower causing a lot of US tension. Russia is estimated to have the largest arsenal of nukes in the world. It’s also the second largest oil exporter in the world, behind US ally Saudi Arabia. Where Russia throws its support, the US usually throws its opposition. Nyet friends, the two countries almost always play on opposite geopolitical teams.
On the UN Security Council, China and Russia often team up to protect their anti-West agendas. In 2017, they vetoed sanctions on Syria after Syrian president Bashar al-Assad allegedly used chemical weapons on his own citizens. The reason for the veto? Russia supports Assad and is helping him stay in power. China has also vetoed sanctions on North Korea in the past, since it’s traditionally supported NK as a buffer for Western influence in the region.
France Once a major colonial empire, it now has the highest stockpile of nukes in Europe. While France is a major US ally, it’s less closely aligned with the US than Britain is. For example, it opposed the Iraq War.
Britain Formerly the most powerful country in the world, Britain used to have a huge colonial empire. Including, as you know from third-grade history and Hamilton, the US. Now, Britain and the US have a “special relationship.” The two countries have been close allies during every major twentieth-century conflict. Lately, Britain has dealt with a headache its allies can’t help with: Brexit. In 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union, and they began divorce negotiations.
Thing to know
UK vs. Great Britain vs. England. The UK is England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is England, Wales, and Scotland. England is just England. England’s part of Great Britain, which is part of the UK. If it were high tea time, the UK would be the teapot, Great Britain the water, and England the teabag.
EU: The Bloc Party
The Who
The European Union. It’s made up of 28 member countries. They’re neighbors who share a mission statement and, in many cases, a currency (the euro).
The What
On a very practical level, it means that people with passports from EU countries can work and travel freely to other member countries. It’s also an economic alliance, meant to stabilize European economies. 19 of the 28 countries in the EU are on the same currency bandwagon. The UK, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Croatia, and Hungary are among the countries that chose to stick with their own currency.
Thing to know
The Czech Republic and Slovakia used to be called Czechoslovakia. Add it to the “List of Things You No Longer Say” that includes “Soviet Union” and “the Ukraine.”
The Why
The EU started as a solution to the nationalism that fueled WWI and WWII. The idea was to bring everyone in the neighborhood to the table to make the rules standardized so it’s easier to move goods and people between countries. Make open borders, not war.
Thing to know
Switzerland’s right in the middle of the EU, but it flies solo. Because the people there voted to remain independent. The Swiss have a long history of saying “Not it.” In WWII, they chose to remain neutral. Which is why people say “I’m Switzerland” when they don’t want to get involved.
The Who’s in Charge
The European Commission (EC). It’s the EU’s executive arm, made up of reps from every EU country. The group makes decisions and enforces legislation for the bloc.
G7: The Wolf Pack
The Who
The seven best friends that anyone could have. The US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK are all-in.
The What
Coordinating economic, security, and energy policy. Since these seven countries are all wealthy, industrialized democracies, they hold a lot of cards. They’re also close allies. And they’re not afraid to say “You can’t sit with us” when someone’s out of line.
The Who’s Not Invited
The G7 used to be the G8. In 2014, Russia got the boot from the group after its meddling in Ukraine. More on this later. This put Russia in the international penalty box and turned 8 into 7.
G20: The Big Group Dinner
The Who
Finance ministers and central bank governors from the world’s 20 largest economies go. That includes the G7 plus China, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Australia, India, and others.
The What
It’s the one where everyone talks about the bill. The G20 is basically a less exclusive version of the G7, with a more exclusive focus on the economy. Together, these countries make up more than 80 percent of the world’s economy and two-thirds of the world’s population. They meet once a year to talk about everything from trade to financial markets and the growth of emerging economies.
NATO: The Protective Friends
The Who
29 mainly European countries plus the US and Canada.
The What
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A political and military alliance. An attack on any one member country would be treated as an attack on all of the members.
The Why
To have one another’s backs. The group got together at the start of the Cold War to stand up against threats from the then Soviet Union. Today, Russia really isn’t into the fact that NATO has added members on its borders (including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania).
Acronyms FTW
There are also groups and orgs that focus on more specific topics. Here are some of them.
For when your friend won’t Venmo you back…
The IMF wouldn’t stand for this. The IMF, or International Monetary Fund, is made up of 189 countries. So almost every country in the world is in on the fun(d). The goal? To help countries keep currency values on the upswing and help them restructure their debt. And avoid another Great Depression. While the G20 is also focused on the economy, the IMF is more all encompassing.
For when gas prices are down…
Thank OPEC. OPEC, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is made up of 14 countries that produce half of the world’s crude oil. It focuses on keeping oil prices stable by working together on things like how much oil they should produce at once. When you see gas prices going up, you can usually blame OPEC. When you see gas prices going down, you can usually thank OPEC. As the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia is the boss of the group.
For when you’re overdue for a doctor’s visit…
WHO n
eeds health? Everyone. WHO stands for the World Health Organization. It works with pretty much every country in the world—plus the UN, other international orgs, foundations, and research groups—to make sure people are living a healthy life. Think: making sure people have clean air and water, and helping people fight off diseases like Ebola, HIV, and cancer by giving them access to treatments.
For when your friends are talking about a sports trade…
Let’s talk international trade. The WTO, or World Trade Organization, is—spoiler—the world’s trading organization. Job responsibilities include acting as a safe place for countries to talk trade deals, making sure there’s open trade around the globe, and playing middleman for any disputes. Psst…trade doesn’t include only goods. It can also include services and intellectual property. The WTO also acts as a referee. Countries can file suit here if they think another country is cheating on trade deals.
Current Conflicts
There are friends and alliances and acronyms. Then there are frenemies and enemies and ideological battles. Here’s a closer look at some major, lasting global conflicts and issues.
The US vs. China
Their economic competition is just the tip of the geopolitical iceberg. Enter: the tech and trade wars between the two countries.
Trade
The two are playing a game of “Anything you can tax I can tax higher.” In 2018, the US hit China with tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods. Meaning China has to pay more to send them to the US, and those products are more expensive for American consumers (so less likely to sell). China hit back with its own high tariffs. This back-and-forth hit both economies. Hard.
Tech
They’re in a race to dominate 5G—a new wireless Internet system that would make your smartphone or car connect to the Web really quickly. 5G networks are also expected to be able to do things like steer driverless cars and help docs perform surgeries while OOO. The two countries are spending billions of dollars to try to be first to the 5G market. And China’s been accused of stealing valuable ideas (IP, or intellectual property) from the US.
Regional issues
China’s been saying mine to contested areas of the South China Sea. It’s fueled a bitter rivalry between China and its Asian neighbors who also claim the area—the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Japan. Insert water fights with no signs of stopping. And concern from the US about an expanding Chinese presence in Asia.
The US vs. Russia
The US has been smiling and shaking Russia’s hand in person—and then talking behind its back—since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Russia misses its big empire from the old Soviet days and looks at the expansion of NATO as a major threat. It also doesn’t like that the US has ties to countries on its borders.
In 2014, the relationship turned from bad to worse when Russia decided to support separatists in Ukraine (against the wishes of the US) and back President Assad in the Syrian Civil War (also against the wishes of the US).
Then it came out that Russian hackers had attempted to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in favor of President Trump. Cue an investigation into whether people on Team Trump colluded with Russia. The investigation found no evidence of collusion.
Russia’s still a major player in international politics and still has the largest collection of nuclear weapons, so the US is stuck between a vodka bottle and a hard place.
Nationalism vs. Globalism
As the world has become increasingly connected—thanks to everything from the Interwebs to trade deals to immigration—nationalist movements have arisen worldwide in response. Here’s how some of them have played out.
The EU
Over the past few years, the EU’s been dealing with its worst migrant and refugee crisis since WWII. Millions of people fleeing violence in the Middle East and Africa have come to the EU. Some countries have rolled out the welcome mat. Others have put up do not disturb signs. Politicians and movements have capitalized on this fear of incoming migrants and refugees. Example: One of the reasons the UK voted for Brexit was to secure its borders. And anti-immigrant parties have been gaining steam in France and Germany.
The US
Two words—Donald Trump. His 2016 election upset leaned on nationalist rhetoric. His campaign was antiestablishment and focused, in part, on a much stricter immigration policy. It also exposed deep divisions within the country.
Thing to know
Populism vs. nationalism—different, but with a lot of overlap. Populist movements are about taking a government back from the “out-of-touch elites” in charge. Nationalist movements are specifically focused on elevating one’s country over others. In recent years, these have been similar, since those “out-of-touch elites” have largely favored globalism.
Islamic Extremism vs. the West
To start, Islam is not the same as Islamic extremism. Islamic extremists are radical groups that oppose tolerance of different faiths, individual liberty, and democracy. Which is why many Islamic extremist groups are against the West.
In 2014, ISIS—an offshoot of al-Qaeda—gained momentum in Iraq and Syria. Its goal? To create a caliphate, or worldwide fundamentalist Muslim state. It’s estimated that more than 1,200 people outside of Iraq and Syria have been killed by attacks inspired or planned by ISIS.
The West has put a lot of money toward fighting back against the rise of Islamic extremist groups. The US alone has spent nearly $3 trillion on counterterrorism efforts since 9/11.
Saudi Arabia vs. Iran
This rivalry goes wayyy back. That’s because they’re part of different Islamic sects (Shiite and Sunni) that haven’t gotten along for centuries. While their rivalry started with ideological differences, now they battle for dominance in the Middle East. Iran is largely Shiite, and Saudi Arabia is largely Sunni.
The two countries have taken this rivalry out in numerous proxy wars. Since 2015, the civil war in Yemen has been fought between Houthi rebels (backed by Iran) and the Yemeni gov (backed by Saudi Arabia).
In the Syrian Civil War, Iran’s been supporting the Shiite-led government for years, while Saudi Arabia supports the rebels trying to give the gov the boot.
The US traditionally has a good relationship with Saudi Arabia, thanks to a mix of oil (it has a ton of it), money (it invests in the US economy), and defense (it helps keep relative stability in the region). And Iran is an enemy thanks to ideological differences (Iran has said it wants to “destroy” US ally Israel) and its commitment to nuclear development.
Israelis vs. Palestinians
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most divisive in the world. A lot of it goes back to land and security. Specifically, who owns it and how it’s controlled.
Right before WWII, the land that is now Israel used to be part of British-controlled Palestine. Right after WWII, the UN said that the Jewish people and Palestinian Arabs should divide up the land into two states. Soon after, the State of Israel was established.
Both sides claim parts of the same land, including the city of Jerusalem as their capital. The ongoing conflict’s killed thousands, left millions of Palestinian refugees living in camps in places like Jordan and Lebanon, and put civilians on both sides through ongoing violence.
Some say this is about having a homeland for the Jewish people where they feel secure. Others say this is about Palestinians having had their homeland and security taken away from them. See the problem?
Despite numerous attempts at peace deals and two-state solutions, there is still no peace.
Iran vs. the US
The two countries have had no formal relations since 1980.
Iran is ruled by an Islamic gov that’s vowed the “destruction” of US ally Israel and won’t even acknowledge it politically. That’s part of the reason the West was so concerned by Iran’s nuclear development.
In 2015, I
ran and the US, plus five other countries, shook on a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear enthusiasm in exchange for lifting sanctions on the country.
Then in 2018, President Trump withdrew from the deal, saying it wasn’t tough enough on Iran.
Arab Spring
A series of pro-democracy protests that happened in the Middle East and North Africa. Some were successful. Some not so much.
Starting in 2011, these uprisings caught on in Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and Bahrain.